Curtain stretching frame



MalCll 21, J, A, LEAs CURTAIN STRETCHING FRAME Filed p1-i1 5, 194? Jofmma v Q5 J@ fw' Patented Mar. 21, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE yr2,501,395 f I CURTAIN STRETCIHNG FRAME J ohn A. Leas, Springfield, Ill.

Application April 5, 1947, Serial No. 739,667

6 Claims.

' This invention relates to an improvement in stretching and dryingframes such as are much used for' stretching and drying curtains.

An object of the invention is to provide'a frame which does notpresentexposed sharp points such as pins or nails, that are likely to scratchthe hands of the user either while applying the material to be stretchedand dried or while assembling the frame.

Another object is to provide reenforcement means' for the piercingmembers of the device Which pierce the material to be stretched anddried so as to prevent said members from being bent by the tensionexerted upon them by said material. This reenforcement means permits theuse of piercing members of small diameter thus reducing the danger ofdamage to the threads of the material being acted upon and preventingthe formation of large and unsightly holes inl said material.

Another object is to so position the piercing members in the framemembers of the device that none of the frame members may disturb ordamage any of the piercing members while the frame members are beingassembled.

Other objects and advantages will appear in course of the followingspecification, and with all of said objects and advantages in view thisinvention consists Vin the several novel features hereinafter fully setforth and more particularly def' fined in the appended claims.

" The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawing inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a complete and assembled stretching anddrying frame, embodying a simple form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross section taken along the line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmental front elevation of the horizontal frame memberseen in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the pierc' ing members; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmental front elevation of a slightly modified form offrame member.

Referring to said drawing in which like numbers refer to like members inthe various views, and referring rst to Figs. 1 through 4, inclusive, itwill be seen that the frame consists of two main horizontal framemembers I (see Fig. 1), each composed of two sections Ia hinged togetherat the centers by hinges 1, whereby they may be folded up for ease instoring. The frame members carry lpiercing members-8 on one side atrelatively closely spaced intervals. Ihe two main frame members I aresupported by two other substantially upright frame members 2 which alsocarry piercing members 8 on one side. The frame members 2 also carrylegs 3 hinged thereto by hinges 5 so that they may be folded for storageand constrained by flexible members 4 which conneet the legs 3 to theframe members 2 so that they will support the entire structure in themanner of an easel. The member Gis a spreader which is placed near thecenter of the frame to resist sagging of frame members I and also toassist in supporting the entire structure. Allof I the frame members I,2 and 6 are provided with transverse holes Il through which bolts I'Iamay be inserted with thumb nuts on their ends to fas.

ten the members into rigid frame and at the same time to provideadjustment for varying sizes,

of material to be stretched and dried.

Each of the frame members I and 2 is formedl on one face I9 withtransversely `extending rela tively closely spaced slots I9a havingsloping ,bote` toms, and each frame member is provided with a groove I3,in one face to receive the coiled ends I I, of the Ipiercing members 8.A rod I8 is passed through the coiled ends I I of the piercing members8, and said rod is secured in the groove I3 at intervals with doublepointed tacks or staples IBa. Each coil II has a projecting end I2which,-

bears against the bottom of a slot Isa producing a torsional stress inthe coil II tending to rotate the piercing member 8 about the rod I8.Since the coil II is of such internal diameter as to -be4 free to rotateon rod I8 the net result of said torsional stress is to cause the thumbpiece or loop 9 vof the piercing member 8 to bear tightly on the surfaceI5 of the frame member. Each fpiercing member may comprise a length ofresilient wire, coiled at one end to provide the coil II, and bent up atits other end to form a thumb piece or loop 9, and a downwardlyprojecting piercing pin I0. The surface I5 of each fra-me member is at alevel sufciently spaced from the general levelof the surface I9 of theframe member that when the frame members are assembled into a frame andsecured tightly together with the bolts the piercing members 8 will notbe damaged by the frame members which intersect them. The normalposition of the piercing members 8 is, therefore, adjacent the bottomsof the transverse slots I9a, with the thumb-loops 9 tightly pressedagainst surface I5 and the piercing pins I0 disposed in a longitudinalslot I6 in the frame member.

It will be noted that the thumb-loop 9 of the piercing member 8 does notproject beyond surface 20 of the frame member, therefore, if in handlingthe frame one of the frame members is dropped or struck against anyobject, the surface 20 thereof offers considerable protection againstbending of the piercing members The surface I4 is inclined as shown inFig. 2 to provide purchase for the users thumb or nngers against loop 9in order that the piercing members 8 may be manipulated in the normaloperatic of the device. 1

In the normal operation the piercing members 8 are raised one at a timeto some position such as is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, by ufpwardpressure exerted against loop 9 by the users ngers. The edge of thematerial to be stretched is then inserted under the piercing member andagainst surface I9 of frame member and covering slot I6 and the pressureon loop 9 is then released permitting the piercing member to snap backby the spring action to its original position, causing the piercing pinIU to pierce the material to be stretched and reenter the slot I6 whereit is then reenforced and assisted against the pull of the material bythe edge of slot I6. This reenforcement by the edge of the slot i6prevents bending of the piercing .pin HJ by the pull of the materialbeing stretched.

'In the modified form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 5, individualrecesses or sockets |611 for receiving the piercing pins are substitutedfor the groove i6 of the preferred form of the inven' tion. The edge ofthe recess or socket functions as a reenforcement for the piercing pin.

Having thus described my invention, it is obvious that variousimmaterial modications may be made in the same without departing fromthe spirit of my invention; hence, I do not wish to be understood aslimiting myself tothe exact form, construction, arrangement andcombination of parts herein shown and described or uses mentioned.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

yl. In a stretching and drying frame, longitudinal and transverse framemembers, means for securing said members together to form a frame, eachframe member being formed in one face With spaced slots extendingtransversely of the frame member, and with a groove opening to saidslots adjacent one edge of the frame member, piercing members, onecontained in each slot and being formed with a coiled end terminating ina projecting end portion, and a rod extending through said groove andthrough said coiled ends, each piercing member being formed at its otherend with a thumb piece and `a piercing pin, said coiled end of eachpiercing member functioning to hold the thumb piece against the slottedface of the frame member with the piercing pin held in 'a depression vinsaid slotted face of the frame member.

2. In a stretching and drying frame, longitudinal and transverse framemembers, means to vsecure said frame members together to form a frame,each frame member being formed in one face with transversely extendingslots, said face being oiiset inwardly adjacent one edge of the framemember, piercing members, one in each slot and formed at one end with acoil terminating in a projecting end adapted to engage the bottom of theslot and urge the other end of the piercing member against said offsetpart of the slotted face, and a rod secured to said frame member andextending through the coiled ends of the piercing members, the free endf each piercing member being formed with a thumb loop and a piercingpin, the piercing pin being arranged to extend into a recess formed inthe slotted race ofthe frame member.

3. In a stretching and drying frame, horizontal and transverse framemembers, removably secured together to form a frame, all of the framemembers having on corresponding faces thereof, transversely extendingslots formed with inclined bottoms and terminating at their lower endsin a longitudinally extending groove, inclined piercing members, one ineach slot withthe lower end in the orm of a spring coil terminating in aprojecting end, and a rod extending through said groove and through saidspring coils and secured to the Vframe member, the upper end of eachpiercing member being formed with a thumb loop spring pressed againstthe slotted face of the frame member, and also formed with a piercingpin arranged to normally extend into a recess formed in the slotted faceof the frame member.

4. In a stretching and drying frame, longitudinal and transverse framemembers, means for securing said members together to form a frame, eachframe member being formed in one face with spacedtransverse slots, thebottoms of which are inclined, and also formed with a groove opening tosaid slots at the lower ends of the bottoms of said slots, piercingmembers, one contained in each slot and being formed with a coiled endterminating in a projecting end portion, and a rod extending throughsaid groove and through said coiled ends, each piercing member beingformed at its other end with a thumb loop and a piercing pin, saidcoiled end of each piercing member functioning to hold the thumb loopagainst the slotted face of the frame member with the piercing pin heldin a depression in said slotted face of the frame member.

5. In av stretching and drying frame, longitudinal and transverse framemembers, means to secure said frame members together to form a frame,each frame member being formed in one face with transversely extendingslots, said face. being oiset inwardly adjacent one edge of the framemember, and terminating in an inclined edge portion, piercing membersone in each slot and formed at one end with a coil terminating in aprojecting end adapted to engage the bottom of the slot and urge theother end of the piercing member against said offset part of the slottedface, and a rod secured to said frame member and extending through thecoiled ends of the piercingmembers, the free end of each piercing memberbeing formed with a thumb loop and a piercing pin, the piercing pinbeing arranged to extend into a recess formed in the slotted face of theframe member.

6. In a stretching and drying frame, horizontal and transverse framemembers, removably secured together to form a frame, all of the framemembers having on corresponding faces thereof, transversely extendingslots formed with inclined bottoms and terminating at their lower endsin a longitudinally extending groove, inclined piercing members, one ineach slot with the lower end in the form of a spring terminating in aprojecting end, a rod extending through said groove and through saidspring coils and secured to a frame member, the upper end of eachpiercing member being formed with a thumb loop spring pressed againstthe slotted face of the frame member, and also formed with a piercingpin arranged to normally extend into a groove formed in the slotted faceof the frame member.

JOHN A. LEAS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 410,790 Eastman Sept. 10, 1889530,096 Eckman Dec. 4, 1894' 925,366 Mason June l5, 1909 974,527 SchoenNov. 1, 1910' 2,174,789 Kennedy Oct.`3, 1939

